Page 86 of The Beast Who Begged Me

His eyes flick down to the names beneath my hand. For a moment he says nothing, and I let him think about it. Four men are a small addition, but it would only take one to do a great deal of damage.

“They’re solid,” he says at last. “I only included the ones I’d trust with my own life.”

“Then we shouldn’t have a problem.” I pick up the paper and fold it along the crease. “Dami will see you out.”

Dami walks him down to the front door where Vito, who’s been waiting outside, will drive him back. I put the list in the desk drawer while I wait. It’s a start, even if it’s a smaller one than I wanted.

Dami returns, shuts the door, and comes straight to the desk. His mouth is tight as he rests a hand on the edge. “You need witnesses to believe me?”

“I believe you.” I put my hand over his. “I need witnesses so nobody gets to pretend they didn’t hear you.” His fingers turn beneath mine, catching hold. “I want no more arguments about where you belong.”

That’s true. But it’s only part of it, and I keep the rest to myself while he studies my face.

Somewhere along the way, Dami became central in my life. Worth more than my Family, my name, my heritage. I want that witnessed, in a room full of men who understand what they’re witnessing. I want him dressed for the occasion, with the bread and oil laid out, time set aside for him and only him.

He had to sit outside a closed door while I accepted the oaths of lesser men. Dami is worth more to me than all of them combined. When he swears to me, I want everyone to hear it.

I want everyone to witness my claim on him.

“We’ll do it right,” I repeat, squeezing his fingers once before I let go. “I’ll speak to Strike myself to arrange it. Here, at the house.”

He looks at me for another moment, then nods. “Alright.” His gaze drops briefly to my mouth and he comes around the desk. His hand closes around the back of my neck, and I tip my head up to look at him. “Whatever you say, Don Clemenza.”

I lift my face to his, waiting for his mouth to descend onto mine…

But the sound of screaming stops us abruptly.

Rosa.

I make it to the door first, but Dami grabs me back before I wrench it open. “Behind me,” he snarls. I do as commanded, following him down and into the kitchen, where Rosa is standing, pale and teary, her hands over her mouth.

“What is it?” Dami asks, head whipping around to find threats.

She points an unsteady finger at a small plastic bag lying next to a frozen chicken on the countertop.

“Shit,” Dami mutters. “You, uh. You weren’t supposed to…” He goes over and slaps a hand over it, hiding it from Rosa.

“What the hell is it?” I ask, bewildered.

Rosa has gone from frightened to angry, a torrent of Italian flooding out of her, mostly religious invocations. “What in God’s name is this doing in my freezer?” she finishes up in English.

Dami keeps his hand over the bag. “It’s Seb,” he says shortly. “Or what’s left of him.”

Rosa and I exchange a look. Her face changes, and she reaches for his arm. “Signor Orsini,” she says gently. “You must bury him.”

“Not yet.” He pulls away from her, closing his fingers around the bag. “I haven’t found the rest of him. And Big Gee’s still fucking breathing.”

He’s waiting to earn the right to mourn his friend, the same way he tried to earn my forgiveness. He won’t say goodbye until he’s suffered enough, killed enough…

“Burying him won’t let Big Gee off the hook,” I say. “It just gives you somewhere to go to remember an honorable man.”

“I’m not putting a handful of him in the ground and calling it done,” he snarls. Rosa presses her lips together, her eyes wet.

“Then we won’t call it done.” I move beside him, resting my hand on the counter next to his. “There’s a cemetery opposite the body shop. We could put him there, in Clemenza territory.”

He looks at me at last. His grip eases enough that I can see the cloudy plastic between his fingers.

“Our men will be there every day,” I go on. “He’ll have people watching over him for as long as there’s a Clemenza Family.” I touch his wrist. “He looked after you. Let us look after him. Please, Dami?”